Narragansett Man Dies In Kayaking Accident

NARRAGANSETT, RI — The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management on Wednesday identified a man who died in a kayaking accident in Narragansett on Saturday.

State officials said the kayaking victim was Justin Harvey, 36, of Narragansett.

Harvey was a commercial fisherman on a boat based in Point Judith. A fisherman found his body on a stretch of sand just east of Roger Wheeler State Beach around 8 a.m. Tuesday.

According to DEM officials, Harvey and his girlfriend went kayaking from the beach around 9:30 p.m., Saturday. A strong tide pulled them farther from shore into rough water, where Harvey’s kayak sank. His girlfriend jumped into the water and tried to rescue him, but could not pull him up to the surface.

Members of the Narragansett Fire Department, Portsmouth Fire Department, and the United States Coast Guard searched for Harvey until 2 a.m., before calling off the search due to bad weather.

The cause of death is not known at this time and will be determined by the Medical Examiners’ Office. The victim and his girlfriend were not wearing lifejackets at the time of the accident, state officials said.

There have been three boating fatalities in Rhode Island in 2022. All involved paddle boats, and none of the victims was wearing a life jacket.